It's Jack Myers world, and we're all just living in it. At least, for a few hours Saturday it felt that way. Myers announced this would be a big season for him by posting 8 points (5 goals, 3 assists) for the day, with 3 goals and 2 assists being credited in the first quarter alone.
It was a good day, but not great, across the board for the Buckeyes.
Starting at the back, Caton Johnson stepped in as the starter and, after a rough Q1, steadied into a really good performance for Ohio State. Finishing with a .571 save percentage, Johnson probably cemented his place as the starter for now.
Defensively, Bobby Van Buren started his first collegiate game and had a good performance. Van Buren picked up 3 groundballs, but also had one the Buckeyes' 3 penalties. Very much a performance to build on for the true freshman.
The Buckeye D as a whole sputtered early, allowing 4 goals on 9 shots. Detroit Mercy only managed 3 more tallies on 18 shots in the final three frames, making this a good effort, but far from great.
On offense, the Buckeyes were also good, not great. Jack Myers excluded, of course. The Buckeyes got an all around effort in the attacking zone, as 9 different players scored a goal for the Scarlet and Gray.
Of the non-Myers crowd, Jason Knox and Jackson Reid tallied three times each, though Knox was far more efficient shooting. Colby Smith also tallied twice in his first game action since 2020.
No other player tallied more than one assist besides Jack Myers, but the Buckeyes assisted on 11 of their 18 goals. Getting to 50% is outstanding, so that's a good thing to see.
The biggest difference in this game was how good the midfield was in all aspects. Middies scored 8 of 18 goals, and picked up 22 of 47 groundballs. That does not include FOGO groundballs.
Trent DiCicco actually had 9 groundballs today, which is astounding for a non-FOGO player. DiCicco came into this year as my pick to be a dodger, and it turns out his most valuable contribution might be on the faceoff wing. Just a great effort.
Freshman middies Ari Allen and James Gurr both scored this afternoon, making a statement about their potential for impacting the season. Both players look to figure heavily into the offensive rotation.
Ohio State was 2-4 on Man Up today, and held the Titans scoreless on Man Down over 4 attempts, which is that unit's best performance in nearly 5 years. Detroit Mercy isn't elite, but you have to like that sort of game.
All in all, a good way to start the year. The first quarter MUST get better, though. I don't know what the problem is, but the team has to button it up in the opening 15. Otherwise, little to complain about.
Good day, and a great way to start 2022.
Go Bucks!
